In the mechanized and automated processing of slaughter products, use is in many cases made of carriers, such as hooks and supports, to which a slaughter product can be connected. A carrier of this nature ensures that the slaughter product is supported, so that processing operations can be carried out on the product by hand or machine. The carrier can often be moved into a limited number of different positions or orientations in order for different processing operations or processing steps to be carried out on the slaughter product which is connected thereto. The support may be arranged at one location, but is usually connected to a conveyor, by means of which the slaughter product can be conveyed past various processing stations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,930 describes a device for dividing poultry into portions, in which device carriers for the poultry are displaced along a predetermined, endless path by a conveyor. The carriers can rotate about a vertical axis into various angular positions as a result of stationary stop blocks being arranged in the path of pins which are connected to the carriers and project sideways.
French Patent Application No. 2,589,452 again describes a device for dividing poultry into portions, in which device carriers for the poultry are displaced along a predetermined path by a conveyor. The carriers can rotate about a vertical axis into various angular positions as a result of the carrier being connected to a body which is provided with laterally directed projections and as a result of a stationary pin being arranged in the path of one of the projections.
European Patent Application No. 551,156, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,083,974 and 4,648,155 describe a device for filleting the body of poultry. For this purpose, the body is arranged on a carrier which, by means of a conveyor, can be displaced past various processing stations in order to be subjected to a number of processing operations. The carrier can be pivoted about a horizontal axis and, to this end, is provided with one or more actuating protrusions which are able to interact with guides which are arranged stationary along the path of the carrier in order to determine the angular position of the carrier.
European Patent Application No. 756,826 describes a device for processing a slaughtered animal, having a carrier which can pivot about a horizontal axis and hangs from an overhead conveyor. At a distance from the axis, the carrier is pivotably connected to one end of an arm, the opposite end of which is provided with a protrusion which can be guided inside a guide slot in an actuating member, which is arranged stationary along the path of the carrier, in order to determine the angular position of the carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,630 describes a device for processing slaughtered poultry, in which a number of push-on units, each provided with a carrier, are conveyed along a horizontal, endless path. The carrier can pivot about a horizontal axis with respect to an arm, which in turn is fixedly attached to a plate which can be displaced with a conveyor. An actuating rod, which at its ends is provided with protrusions, is arranged on the arm in such a manner that it can pivot about a horizontal axis. One end of the actuating rod is pivotably connected to one end of a connecting rod. The other end of the connecting rod is pivotably connected to the carrier. Consequently, pivoting of the actuating rod as a result of the protrusions of the actuating rod being guided in guide grooves causes the carrier to pivot into a predetermined position.
European Patent Application No. 695,506 describes a filleting device for slaughtered poultry, in which use is made of the carriers which are described in European Patent Application No. 551,156. European Patent Application No. 695,506 also shows carriers, which are connected to a conveyor, in the form of hooks for poultry, a carrying part of which can rotate into a defined angular position about a vertical axis. For this purpose, each hook is provided with a Maltese cross which can be adjusted by means of one or more pins which are arranged stationary along the path of the hook, as shown in more detail in European Patent Application No. 577,821.
European Patent Application No. 254,332 describes a fixing support for filleting a breast portion of poultry. The fixing support is displaced by means of a conveyor in order to move the breast portion sideways. The fixing support can be pivoted about a horizontal axis as a result of an actuating element, which is arranged stationary along the path of the fixing support, being made to engage on a rotary element connected to the fixing support.
All the carriers according to the prior art which have been described above provide only one degree of freedom for manipulation of the slaughter product, since the carrier can only pivot or rotate about one horizontal or vertical axis. This considerably limits the possible options for carrying out processing operations on the slaughter product, either by hand or by means of tools arranged along the path of the carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,185 describes a device which offers two degrees of freedom for manipulation of the poultry carcass. The device is intended for filleting a carcass of poultry, a carrier comprising a body with a tapering end which is intended to be fitted into the chest of the carcass. Via an arm which extends substantially in the horizontal direction, the carrier is connected to a guide plate which is moved along an endless path by a conveyor. Processing operations on the poultry take place when the carrier is situated above the guide plate. The carrier can pivot about a horizontal axis with respect to the arm, while the arm can pivot about a vertical axis with respect to the guide plate.
Pivoting of the carrier about the horizontal axis is controlled by a pin which is connected to the carrier being moved in a guide slot which extends along a section of the path. A first drawback of this pin/guide slot structure is that without the cooperation between the pin and the guide slot, the carrier adopts an angular position which is not clearly defined about the horizontal axis, since there is no fixing of the angular position. A second drawback of the pin/guide slot design selected is that, when the pin and the guide slot interact, there is no clear relationship between various positions (forward and backward) of the carrier and the vertical position of the pin.
Pivoting of the carrier about the vertical axis is obtained by causing a wheel which is connected to the arm to come into contact with a block which is arranged in a fixed position along the path of the guide plate. A problem in this case is that the angular position of the carrier about the vertical axis which is reached as a result is arbitrary, since there is no fixing of this position.